1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a plastic automotive air intake assembly. More specifically, the invention relates to an apparatus for manufacturing a plastic automotive intake assembly and the construction of the attaching portions of the assembly.
2. Summary of the Related Art
It is known to make multi-piece automotive air intake assemblies from aluminum or plastic. Plastic automotive intake assemblies have been joined together by means of linear (vibration) welding. Linear welding requires a relatively flat or 2-dimensional mating surface between the upper and lower housings. The two housings are placed within a vibration welding tool and subjected to lateral displacement. The lateral displacement causes the mating surfaces between the housings to heat, soften and fuse to one another. Highly contoured or 3-dimensional pieces do not lend themselves to be vibration welded because the lateral or linear displacement of the two housing portions create gaps in the vertical portion of the housing pieces. These gaps do not heat and therefore weakens the weld between the housings.
It is known to join two plastic members together using a dielectrically heatable adhesive. An example of an application that uses dielectrically heated adhesives is explained in U.S. Pat. No. 5,223,684 (Li). The Li patent teaches joining two housing members using a dielectrically heatable adhesive. The Li patent generally teaches placing the electrodes in contact with the plastic members to be joined. When the plastic members are made from a dielectrically heatable plastic material, the plastic material tends to heat in the dielectric field. This dielectric heating of the plastic is undesirable because it interferes with the heating of the adhesive and may weaken or degrade the plastic part. It is desirable to create an electric field that primarily heats the adhesive without heating the dielectrically heatable plastic material.
It is known to create air gaps between the electrode and the plastic material in an effort to tune the electrode to provide sufficient field strength to heat the dielectrically heatable adhesive. An example of this is taught in U.S. Pat. No. 4,941,937 (Iseler) patent. The Iseler patent does not teach using the air gap to avoid heating the plastic materials and concentrating the heating effect within the adhesive. Nor does the Iseler patent teach a continuous electrode design having a relatively uniform air gap between the electrode and the plastic members.
It is desirable to provide an apparatus that concentrates the dielectric heating effect within the adhesive. It is further desirable to provide an apparatus for bonding highly contoured 3-dimensional components such as an automotive air intake assembly using dielectrically heatable adhesive and plastic members.
These and other objects, advantages and features of the present invention will become more apparent upon reference to the attached drawings and following description.